Last weekend was a big step for the Bucs’ new crop of drafted and undrafted rookies as rookie mini-camp was underway on both Friday and Saturday. It was the first time that the rookies were suited up in team gear and out on the field at AdventHealth Training Center, and Bucs center Graham Barton has already been working hard under the Tampa Bay sun.

While Barton stated that “graduation is overrated” during his mini-camp press conference, that doesn’t mean he won’t be a student of the game hitting the playbook hard to get ready for next season.

Bucs C Graham Barton Is Looking Forward To Days Filled With Football

Bucs HC Todd Bowles, OL Graham Barton and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“You don’t rise to the level of the game, you fall to the level of your training.”

You could mistake that quote for being by a plethora of veteran Bucs players who have spent years honing their craft. You know, the Lavonte Davids, Will Gholstons, Mike Evanses and the like.

But instead, that is what new center Graham Barton said about his approach to football and how he is looking to improve over the offseason.

Wise words from someone looking to make his mark as a rookie. The football field is now his lecture hall, and he is eager to receive his next lesson plan.

“It’s a full-time job now, it’s not just something you do in the morning and then go to class the rest of the day,” Barton said. “All day is football, which is great. When all day is football, you learn in a lot more detail, you have a lot of time to install more things and go into more depth.

“Just trying to learn as best as possible, obviously just got here a couple of days ago, and they’re throwing a lot at us. You have kind of the whole day, it’s meetings twice a day, practice and walkthrough, lots and lots of reps which is great for us rookies. Trying to use that to my advantage, improve, and sort of just build a bank of reps.”

Bucs OC Liam Coen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Barton is a critical part of the offensive line’s improvement next season, with the hope being that he can provide a boost in the run game and secure the interior of the pocket for quarterback Baker Mayfield. After getting his first crack out there holding down the pivot spot, Barton is adjusting to the role and the responsibilities of being a leader up front.

“I mean football’s my passion, it has been for a long time,” Barton added. “Just adjusting to it being a full-time job, it comes with different things. There’s more time throughout the day, so how [you] fill your time productively is one of those adjustments. I think the biggest thing for me, especially being the center here at rookie minicamp, is just trying to get all five guys on the same page while also learning the offense.

“That’s a challenge in itself but just trying to start to step into that role and learn how to become that center role and learning from [offensive line coach Kevin] Carberry and some of the vets around is going to be really important for me.”

Graham Barton Wants To “Play Free”

There should be no understating of the transition from the college to the pro ranks. Immediately, there is so much thrown in the faces of young men who have spent their lives playing for the love to now doing it as a job. With that comes high expectations, from learning the playbook, adding strength and size, and building chemistry with teammates, to simply adjusting to the day-to-day grind.

Bucs C Graham Barton and G Elijah Klein – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

While plenty of rookies experience their share of struggles and growing pains, Graham Barton wants to hit the ground running. Oftentimes it can be overwhelming for a young player to come in and start, but Barton’s goal this summer is to first anchor down the playbook before he anchors the offensive line.

“Just learning the playbook I think is going to be the biggest thing for me,” Barton said. “Allowing me to play free, because you know right now, the first couple of days you’re up there, you’re thinking so much, you’re thinking, you’re thinking — “What’s this, what’s this?’ I’m thinking about what I learned.”

A popular phrase echoed throughout the summertime is “stacking days.” Each player wants to continue building onto the foundation of their game, and Barton is entrusted to do that within offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s offense.

“The more you learn and the more you get confident in the playbook and you get up the line knowing exactly what you’re going to say, I think as you do that you’re allowed to focus more on your play and you can play more freely,” Barton added. “I think that’s the biggest thing is just learning the offense, communicating up there clearly, and allowing myself then to play free. ‘Alright, what’s my technique here? What am I thinking?’ I think getting comfortable in the offense is going to be the biggest thing for me.”

Although last week was just the first look at Graham Barton getting in some work on the field, expect him to be working just as hard off it. It will only make him better as the summer progresses, and in turn, it will make life easier for the Bucs’ offense to do the same.